Image by Feuillu via Flickr You thought the terrible two’s were bad…just wait for teen rebellion to set in. Because teens are experience hormonal fluxuations then can be the ultimately best-behaved child in the room one day and then fly into rages the next. While some mood swings are perfectly normal, if the anti-social or defiant behavior extends for long periods of time, there may be a behavior disorder in play. However, parents who are involved with their children can help them navigate through this difficult time. As parents, you need to listen to your child. Try to … [Read more...]
Helping Your Child with Medical Needs Feel Normal
June 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Image via Wikipedia If you are the parent of a child who has medical needs then you know how hard it is for your child to live a normal life. However, as your child ages, the need for them to feel like a normal child, teen, or young adult will not grow stronger so the best thing that you can do as a parent is to try to find ways that your child can have a normal life. The fact of childhood is: children are not always nice so if your child has a medical need like having to take medication during the school day, it would be wise to make the process as inconspicuous as possible. If it is … [Read more...]
Your Teen and the Responsibility of Driving
June 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Image by ColorblindRain via Flickr For many teenagers, driving means not only getting able to take themselves places but it also means freedom. For parents, their child being old enough to drive means total fear. However, there is a happy medium that you and your teenager can come to when it comes to driving. Every person on the road, at one time or another is not paying full attention to the road because of the radio or their phone, but a new driver needs to learn good habits from the beginning and be more concerned about what is happening around them. When you are in the car while … [Read more...]
Picking Your Battles
May 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
For some parents, it may seem like every day is a new battle in a never-ending war with their teenagers. If this sounds like your house, you may wonder if there is anything you can do. There is you can pick your battles as a parent. The next time you feel a battle coming on with your teenager, stop for a minute and think about the catalyst for the upcoming fight. Then ask yourself the following questions. Does this really matter? Be honest. Ask yourself how important this matter is to your children and if it even bears discussing. For example, you may want him to save his Rocawear … [Read more...]
Letting Your Teens Build Responsibility
May 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Image via Wikipedia As simple as it would be to consider your teens to still just be children. this is a belief that will limit them a great deal. As they get older, your teens need to have increasing levels of responsibility, or they'll find themselves going off of a proverbial cliff by the time they're 18. By that stage of the game, they should be ready and prepared to do all of the things adults need to do. First off, every young person needs to have bank accounts and know how to use them by the time they're 14. While an allowance is a good start toward money management, it is … [Read more...]
One Reason Teens do Drugs
May 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Image via Wikipedia Before you read any further, acknowledge the simple fact that teenagers are doing drugs right now. If you have teenage children, they may very well be doing any manner of both overtly illegal and prescription drugs for recreational purposes. Once the objections settle down and you accept as a possibility that your teen might be popping someone's prescription medications to get their buzz, it's time to consider why that is. A lot of teens don't feel like they can influence their futures from where they are right now. To them, going to school and working are just … [Read more...]
Back to School Shopping for Your Teen
May 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Back to school shopping can be an expensive outing, especially for parents who have multiple children all seeking the latest items and fashion looks. Starting by making a list and setting a clear budget allows the children and teenagers to understand what they have to spend. Some kids may not appreciate the restrictions, but teaching them to stick to a budget that has been clearly laid out is a great way to show the value of money. There are some basic school items that can be reused. In the classroom, students will need certain school supplies, such as notebooks, pencils, and planners to … [Read more...]
Rebellion Or Fear
March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
At one time in every teen's life there comes the transition from kid to adult. It makes adolescence that much more difficult. A kid wants to be grown up, sees the exciting life of an adult (or thinks they see it) and wants to run into its arms. Forget being a kid, forget that you still want to sleep with you favorite blanket. It must be much more fun to be an adult. It is at this point that the, "I want to be grown up, oh no I don't" syndrome begins to happen, and with that comes confusion and fear, resulting in that ugly monster known as teenage rebellion. As much as a … [Read more...]
Teenage Driving
March 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Try to drive through any high school at dismissal and you will immediately go home and put a FOR SALE sign on your car. It is a myriad of newly licensed drivers versus those who think they are seasoned pros. It is a right of passage for the seniors to have the closest parking spaces, and the way of the juniors to try to steal those parking spaces. Everybody wants to be the first one home and we won't even touch on the fact that every teen driving today is also talking on a phone at the same time, knowing all the time it is illegal. It is like a pack of wolves carving out their social … [Read more...]
Why Do Teenagers Start Smoking? Strangely, Losing Weight Is A Reason
February 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Never forget that your teenager is a mix of a slightly immature adult and the slightly matured child. This is why your teenager can behave in a matured way one moment and can be very stupid the other. One reason why many teenagers opt for smoking is because it helps one lose weight. A person who has just begun smoking will witness a fall in weight and will look slim and lanky. Any adult will admit that smoking is a huge price to pay for something as small and insignificant as looking slim. However, looking slim and fit is such a big deal for teenagers that they are prepared to sacrifice … [Read more...]